Cutting mechanism for ensilage cutters



Feb. 26, 1935. G M MERW|N CUTTING MEGHANISM FOR ENsLAGE GUTTERS Filed Feb. '23, 1933 l y o7" E7/gerwin l `Patented Feb. 26, 1935 Nr "creo:

George M. ,Merwiln Berwymllll., assignor to; I International Harvester Company, acor'poration of New Jersey" antwoordden 23, iie'seal so: 658,002,

1 solang; (clinic-.109)Y 'Y I f Thisfinvention relates to improvements in ensilage cutters. More, specifically it 'relatesfto'immovements in thel cutting mechanism'ior such machines. f

I Aprinoipal: object of the invention is to provide means for improving the cutting action of the shearing type of cutting machines as used in conventional ensilage cutters. i

Another principal "object, is4 to provide means for. guiding the cutting.: blades adjacent/the vco- Operating cuttingblade with a Vminimumamount of clearancewithout the possibility'of injuring l the cutting edges. x

These andzotlun'v obj ects,r which will be apparent from the detailed descriptionV to follow, are `accomplished .bv'a construction such-as shown in the drawing, in which: Y

Figure 1 is aplan view with the upper half of thev 'housing for the rotor and the .cover for the 30 feed table removed: J f Y Y Figure 2 isa side elevation-of the fendof the feedtable adjacent the housing and a portion of the. housing. this figure being broken away to bet,-

ter show afcature of the invention; and e,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on thelne Zivi-@flumet i In the illustrative machine there is provided a combined cutter and blower 1,0 having stalk cutting blades or knives 11 mounted by means'of 30 posts 12 on a circular steel plate 13. Said plate is mounted by means of a hub for rotation on a shaft 14. Fan blades 15 are also mounted on the plate 13. The shaft 14'and the entire rotor which is carried thereby, are rotatably mounted in a 35 housing, the lower half 16 of which is shown in the drawing. In the particular construction illustrated an integral one piece casting is used as a supporting structure for the rotor and for various other elements, including the forward end of o the feed table 17. OnlyV such elements have been shown as are necessary to illustrate the features of the present invention. The U. S. Patent No.

1,769,163, July 1, 1930, shows in detail and describes an ensilage cutter of the type on which the present invention is to be embodied.

The forward end of the feed table 17, as previously stated, is secured to the supporting structure or housing 16. An endlessfeed apron 18 of a conventional construction is mounted on the feed table. The forward end of the apron is supported by a toothed member 19, which is rotatably supported on the feed table in spaced relation with respect to the cutter end thereof. A feed roller 20, which is provided with regularly 55 spaced circumferential rows of teeth, is rotatably mounted between the. forward'gend of the apron 18V anda cutter `plate 2l, which is fixed on the forward -end of the feed table.y A plurality of spaced notches 22 on said plate cooperatively engage withthe teeth formedA on the roller 20.- The forward edgel .of-the plate 21 hasa beveled cuttingedgewhich extends beyond the end of the feed'table whereby it maybe brought .intoshearing relationshipwith respect tothe cutter blades 11: carried onfthe rotor. Adjustmentsmay be provided' for ,bringing the l plate into Very close relationshp'with respect to the blades 11. Asde: scribed inthe. patent previously referred to, vthis adiustmentis very important'asthe best cutting action is obtainedY when. the blades are adjusted forshearing with. a minimum ofclearance.v

-Side walls 23 are provided at the forward end Y ofthe feed table. vThesewalls,'extend vertically upward and are connected by'a top wall 24. `A

presser' roller 25 of a conventional construction is ,rotatablyv and slidablv mountedbetween the .side

Walls .23, @Said 2011er is 'dlventby a universalY shaft is-this construction' is conventional. only the parte which, mightbe considered as cooperate .ing withsthe .elementsmaking up the invention,

have been shown... At the ends of the Side wells ,2.3,

adjacent the rotor, vertically extending cutter bars 26 are secured by a plurality of bolts 27. As

illustrated in Figure 2,-the top bolt in each bar extends throughv aligned openings in the bar and in the side wall. The bolts below said bolt extend through openings in the bar, and slots 28 in the side wall.` At the lower end of the bar a hook bolt 29 is provided which extends through a slot' 30 in the side wall into an opening in the bar.

The bolt 29 is adjustably secured by spaced nuts 31 to a bracket 32 mounted on the side wall. It

will be noted that the bar 26 has been shown as extending at a slight angle outwardly at the'bottom towards the rotor of the machine. It Will also be, noted in Figure 3 that the lower` end ofthe bar extends a slight distance beyond the cutting edge of the plate 21. This has perhaps been exaggerated somewhat in' order to illustrate that feature of the invention.

By loosening the bolts 2'7 it will be understood that the bar 26 may be adjusted about the upper bolt 27 as a pivot by loosening one of the nuts 31 and tightening the other. By this adjustment the lower end of the bar may be brought to the desired position with respect to the cutter blades or knives 11 and the cutter plate 21.

It win be noted that the feed table-1T is at one side of the axis of rotation of the rotor. With this relative position of the feed table and the cutter plate 21 there is a shearing action even with the blades 11 positioned radially, which first begins at the end of the cutter plate adjacent the axis of rotation and extends progressively across the plate. It is also evident that the cutter blades, when positioned radially, first come into shearing relationship with Vrespect to the vertical bars 26at their upper endsandprogressively shear downwardly along said bars. By providing aflat forward edge on said bars and by arranging the bars at a slight angle contactl of the cutter blades with the bars -engages. slow-A ly and evenly without damage to either the bars or the cutter blades. AlthoughI such a contact is not to be preferred it may come about due to slight misadjustments and wear of the machine, also due to strains on themachinewhen lheavy material is fed thereinto. 'Relative' positionsof the lower ends of the bars 26 with respect .togtheq plate 21 prevent any possible injury to said plate by contact therewith of the cutting edges ofthe blades 11. The bars 26 therefore serve as a means to protect the cutting edges of the blades 11 and the plate 21. f Y l w The bars 26 also have another function. When feeding the machine at full capacity material is pushed into the corners of the feed table, particularly at the side away from the axis of the rotor. By the construction as described the vertical bar 26 acts in connection with the rotating blades asia cutter plate and material which is pushed to that side of the feed table is sheared between the cutter bar 26 and the blades'll.

It will'be understood that applicant has shown and described only a preferred embodiment of his improved cutting means for ensilage cutters with respect to the cutter blades on the rotor, upwardly extending supporting means adjacent the cutter plate, vertical cutter bars mounted on said means in shearing relationship with respect to the cutter blades of the rotor, and means for adjusting the lower .ends of the Vertical bars axiallyof the rotor and relative to the horizontal cutter plate vwhereby the. verticaljbars serve as protectorsto guard the cutter blades from engaging the cutter plate.

" 2. In an ensilage cutter having a supporting structure and a rotor mounted thereon, and in combination therewith cutter blades mounted on one radial face of saidrotor, a cutter plate rigidly mounted with respect to the supporting structureinshearing relationship with'respect to the cutter blades on the rotor, upwardly extending 'supporting' means adjacent the cutter plate, cutyterybarsimounted on said means in shearing relationship with respect to the cutter bladespf 'the rotor, and `means for adjusting the end's'- of said `bars adjacent7 the cutter Yplate with respect to thec'utter blades on therotor and` relative'to the horizontal cutter plate whereby the Vertical bars serve` as protectors to guard the cutter blades from engagingV the cutter plate.

'3.' In an' ensilage cutter havingy a supporting structure and a rotor mounted thereon, and'in combination therewith cutter lblades mounted on one radial face of saidE rotor, a feedv table'substantially perpendicular to 'the face of therotor and positionedto oneside ofthe axis of said rotor, a cutter plate mounted-on said table in shearing relationship with respect to the cutterl blades on the rotor, upwardly extending supporting means adjacent the cutter plate, cutter :bars mounted on said means in shearing relationship with ,respect to the cutting blades of the rotor. and means for adjusting the'ends of said bars adjacent the cutter blade whereby said ends may be maintained slightly beyond the 'cutter plate in an axial direction toward the'cutter blades whereby the cutter bars serve as protectors to guard the cutter blades from engaging the'cutter plate'. i

GEORGE M. MERWIN. 

